Quote:
Originally Posted by Bingo
I think we've seen a change in how they draft in recent years. Maybe not a huge change from Boltmann's draft year, but certainly a change from Kanzig.
They have altered their go to parameters, have drafted more skill, have drafted smaller players. Character seems to be huge.
So sure you want a monster defenseman, but I doubt that's all they had on the list when they selected him.
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I am not sure that they would pass on Kanzig again. They really liked him a lot in his draft year. IIRC, they had some scout/management meetings in Vancouver that year, and they all took the ferry over to Victoria specifically to watch Kanzig play, and they all pretty much liked him. I remember reading that. There was a lot to like about Kanzig as a prospect - high-end character, work-ethic, size/reach, skating for a big man, and how he went from essentially a goon playing low minutes to playing on the top pairing in his draft year against the best lines and excelling. IIRC, every single scout really liked Kanzig.
Maybe it wasn't the pick that failed here, but the development? Maybe he would have succeeded under Calgary's expanded development team, especially Daneille Fujita? I read a number of articles about Kanzig - I am actually fairly convinced that the Flames would pick him again today all things being equal. Kanzig was a high-IQ defencemen, high-compete, high-character, and a super athlete. People like to point at him for being a terrible pick, but there was a lot there other than his ability to fight.